September 4, 2010. Posted by Becca Pulliam.

Check out the live music and more (incl musician interviews by WBGO's own Rhonda and Josh) at jazzplanet.tv. There was red carpet coverage of last night's opening party, and Christian McBride and Fest Exec Dir Terri Pontremoli made like Sports Desk interviewing Mayor Dave Bing (former Detroit Piston).

Detroit is a cradle of the labor movement, had its first strike in 1837 (carpenters for $2 for a 10-hr day) and historic, even bloody confrontations with Henry Ford and the auto industry throughout the 1930s (1/3 were unemployed). After WWII, Presidential candidates Truman, Stevenson, JFK and LBJ launched their campaigns here with speeches to massive crowds on Labor Day.

This photo is part of the turbulent story on the Detroit News site, here. Read (or scroll) to the very end for my favorite picture - a 1937 waitress strike at Woolworth's.

It's ironic but this year's Labor Day Parade will be led by musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, whose contract has expired with no talks scheduled, story here.

September 2, 2010. Posted by Becca Pulliam.

Monday, September 6, from 2-6pm, Rhonda Hamilton hosts a Labor Day special from the Detroit Jazz Festival, where Mulgrew Miller is Artist in Residence and the theme is Flamekeepers: Carrying the Torch for Modern Jazz. See more about Mulgrew here.

Downtown, outdoors, free, with five stages rolling for three days from noon to 11pm or so, Detroit is a jazz lover's dream. That's why we partner with the Festival. Josh Jackson will blog and bring home music for The Checkout. Bob Porter is moderating a session on the career of Ray Brown and contributing to other panels in the Talk Tent. Dorthaan Kirk always makes the trip to hear music and see friends. And contest winner and WBGO member Jim DiFeo of Union, NJ, is bringing his 25-year-old son with him. David Tallacksen will post photos -- musical and non- -- like these two from last year . . .